Skip bar for business machines



May 15, 1945. M. G. BAUMGARTNER 2375338 SKIP BAR FOR BUSINESS MACHNES Filed March 29, 1944 ZSmJentor Ba ,1/ W

f y (Ittornegs Patenteci May 15, 1945 SKUP BAR FOR BUSINESS MACHINES Merino G. Baumgartner, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Tumath, Baumg'artner and Block, a copartnership composed of Don L. Tumath, Herbert L. Tumath, Maxine V. rEumath, Merino G. Baumgartner, Treva G. Baumgartner, Paul V. Block, and Christian M. Block, all of Detroit,

Mich.

Application March 29, 1944, Serial No. 528,651

6 Claims.

The present invention generally relates to improvement in automatic business machines of the key puneh or multiplier type and more particularly relates to improvements in skip bars for these machines for controlling the horizontal or column spacing of the holes punched in cards by these machines.

A number of hardened steel skip bars are provided by the manufacturer of these machines for controlling certain different horizontal spacing of the punched hole or holes in the cards, hovvever, for a special hole spacing a special skip bar must -fbe obtained, as additional depressions.

cannot be readily cut in the hardened bars. The p-unching of the holes in certain columns of the cards is Controlled by a follower or feeler normally resting on the upper surface of the skip bar, which is attached to a carriage of the machine and is moved under the follovver. The entry of the follower into a depression or notch in the upper surface of the skip bar controls the release of an escapement mechanism of the machine to cause the punching operation thereof in a well known manner.

The object of the present invention is to provide a composite skip bar including an attaching `ybar provided With means whereby it can be readily attached to the carriage of the machine and having a column spacing scale inscri-bed thereon and a spacing bar releasably secured to the attachina bar and of a material which can be readily cut at divisions on the spacing Scale of the attaching bar to provide suitable spaced depressions in the spacing bar in order to cause the machine to punch a hole in the cards in any column or combination of columns desired.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a perspective view of my composite skip bar and.

Figure 2 of the drawing is an end elevation view of the bar.

The composite skip bar comprises an attaching bar l and a'spacing bar 3 removably secured thereto. The attaching b'ar is provided with conventional depressions and projections on the lower edge and ends thereof for attachment to the carriage of a business machine of the type described in conventional manner. .A groove 5 is provided in the upper horizontal face of the attachine bar l and a scale 'l is inscri'bed on the front face of the bar immediately adiacent the groove.

, One or more spacing bars 3 of preferably nonmetallic material such as a plastic or similar material are formed to be manually inserted and frictionally retained in the groove 5 of the bar I in spaced end-to-end relation to provide suitably spaced depressions therebetween corresponding to the markings of the scale l, or a single spacing bar 3 may be inserted in the groove 5 and easily cut at the scale divisions to form suitably spaced depressions therein by the machine operator. The plastic spacing bars 3 are easily cut With a pocket kniie before or after insertion into the attaching bar and may b'e easily replaced. Spacing bars of this material are found to cause no more Wear on the machine follower land little wear is noticed on the spacer bar itself.

In addition to the advantages set forth above, for the composite spacer bar, the plastic spacer bar also reduces the Operating noise of thelmachine and enables the machine to be readily and accurately set up to punch holes in the cards passing through the machine in any column or combination of columns on the cards by a inexperienced machine operator. V

I claim: a

-1. A skip bar for a business machine comprising a member adapted to be readily attached to and detached from an element of the machine, a second member remo-vably attached to said first mentioned member, said second member having sound deadening properties and being easily machined to a desired form.

2. A skip bar for a business machine comprising a member formed for quick attachment and detachment with a machine element, and a plastic member removably secured to said formed member, said plastic member serving as a Wearing and control element.

3. A skip bar for a business machine comprsing a bar having a longitudinal groove in one edge thereof and a scale inscribed adjacent said groove and an easily machinable wear resistant insert adapted to be frictionally supported in said groove serving as a control element for said machine.

4. A skip bar for a business machine comprising a bar having means for attachment to the machine carriage, a groove in one edge thereof and a scale adjacent said groove, and a nonmetallic insert adapted to lbe frictionally supported in the groove of saidl barso that depressions may be readily formed in the portion of said insert adjacent said scale divisions of said bar.

5. A skip bar for a business machine comprising a bar formed for attachment to a machine element, a second member removably attached to said bar, said second member being of a material which may be' readily cut by means of a hanci tool so that it may be provided with an irregular surface of preselected form for controlling operation of said machine.

6. A skip bar for a business machine comprising a member formed for attaohment to an element of the machine and attachng means in said member for positioning a plurality of interchangeable skip control elements in spaced end to end relation on said memlber for contact by a machine skip controlling element each of said elements being made of a material which may be formed by a hand tool.

MENNO G. BAUMGARTNEB 

